diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-release.yaml
index 5525552106..43f8d4f769 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-release.yaml
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
@@ -57,8 +55,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
@@ -80,8 +76,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
@@ -103,8 +97,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
@@ -126,8 +118,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
@@ -153,8 +143,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-staging.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-staging.yaml
index 4567d2249c..fe56c3d076 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-staging.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-staging.yaml
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
@@ -37,8 +35,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
@@ -59,8 +55,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
@@ -81,8 +75,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
@@ -103,8 +95,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
@@ -133,8 +123,6 @@ jobs:
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@v4
-      with:
-        ref: master
 
     - name: Populate environment
       run: ./make.sh ci-export-vars
diff --git a/contrib/genbuild.sh b/contrib/genbuild.sh
index 64bccc5867..47b12a2600 100755
--- a/contrib/genbuild.sh
+++ b/contrib/genbuild.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ git_check_in_repo() {
 DESC=""
 SUFFIX=""
 CURRENT_BRANCH=""
-if [ "${BITCOIN_GENBUILD_NO_GIT}" != "1" ] && [ -e "$(command -v git)" ] && [ "$(git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree 2>/dev/null)" = "true" ] && git_check_in_repo contrib/genbuild.sh; then
+if [ -z "$BUILD_VERSION" ] && [ "${BITCOIN_GENBUILD_NO_GIT}" != "1" ] && [ -e "$(command -v git)" ] && [ "$(git rev-parse --is-inside-work-tree 2>/dev/null)" = "true" ] && git_check_in_repo contrib/genbuild.sh; then
     # clean 'dirty' status of touched files that haven't been modified
     git diff >/dev/null 2>/dev/null
 
@@ -49,14 +49,15 @@ if [ "${BITCOIN_GENBUILD_NO_GIT}" != "1" ] && [ -e "$(command -v git)" ] && [ "$
         SUFFIX="$(echo $CURRENT_BRANCH | sed 's/\//-/g')-$SUFFIX"
     fi
 
-    if [ "$CURRENT_BRANCH" != "hotfix" ] && [ "$CURRENT_BRANCH" != "master" ]; then
-        # if it's hotfix branch, don't mark dirty.
-        # otherwise generate suffix from git, i.e. string like "59887e8-dirty". 
-        git diff-index --quiet HEAD -- || SUFFIX="$SUFFIX-dirty"
-    fi
+    # Check for changes in tracked files against the
+    # index/working tree, mark as dirty if changes
+    # are present.
+    git diff-index --quiet HEAD -- || SUFFIX="$SUFFIX-dirty"
 fi
 
-if [ -n "$DESC" ]; then
+if [ -n "$BUILD_VERSION" ]; then
+    NEWINFO="#define BUILD_DESC \"$BUILD_VERSION\""
+elif [ -n "$DESC" ]; then
     NEWINFO="#define BUILD_DESC \"$DESC\""
 elif [ -n "$SUFFIX" ]; then
     NEWINFO="#define BUILD_SUFFIX $SUFFIX"